FRIDAY FOTO March 9, 2012

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kenley Kirkland (left) assists Afghan soldiers with buckling up on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during static load training for an air assault mission led by an Afghan air unit in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Kirkland is a UH-60 pilot assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade. On his right shoulder he bears the pineapple and lighting bolt unit patch of the 25th Infantry Division, known as Tropic Lightning.

Full disclosure: the three times your 4GWAR editor has flown on a Black Hawk helicopter I always had trouble with the five-point seatbelt buckle and was always terrified I would fall out if all five straps didn’t click.

Everybody in this photo is pretty well armed. The Afghan soldier in the middle has either an M-16 assault rifle or an M-4 carbine between his legs. Note the knee pads and the big knife he has strapped to his chest. The other Afghan soldier appears to be cradling a Russian RPG-7 grenade launcher. The U.S. pilot wears a 9mm automatic pistol, probably a Beretta, on his hip.